


Welcoming in the New Year

by KittyCait1609



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-01 14:44:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17246078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyCait1609/pseuds/KittyCait1609
Summary: How does each member of Torchwood celebrate the arrival of a new year?





	1. 31/12

**Author's Note:**

> References to episodes:  
> Everything Changes  
> Cyberwoman  
> Greeks Bearing Gifts  
> Out of Time  
> Captain Jack Harkness  
> Fragments

New Year's Eve and Team Torchwood had kept Cardiff (and to a certain degree, Earth) relatively safe during another year of alien invasions. 

The rift predictor indicated that there was unlikely to be anything to deal with for at least the next 12 hours, which meant they could all go off and go and countdown the new year with family, friends, associates or just randoms in an overcrowded pub.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well that's it I'm off, see you guys next year" Owen grabbed his jacket and ran up to the lift. Tosh tapped away at the computer, "bye Owen, and happy new year..." she trailed off as she noticed that he had already gone. 

"Rhys and I are off to our mates' house, they host a big New Year's party every year. Fancy dress 'n' all, theme is books you read as a kid. Rhys is going as Captain Hook and I'm going as Tinkerbell." Gwen smiled as she finished her paperwork, looking over to Tosh still working.

"Oh, Peter Pan. Sounds nice." Tosh responded in a manner she hoped made Gwen think she was interested in plans she really couldn't give a stuff about. Don't get Tosh wrong, she was happy that Gwen had Rhys but sometimes she felt that the Welshwoman had a habit of rubbing her 'nice, normal' life in the team's faces. 

Pen and paper placed on desk, Gwen fastened up her coat and tied her silver and black scarf round her neck. "Banana Boat will probably turn up as some pin up from his brother's mags, considering that's all he ever bloody read" she giggled, "hmm" replied the other woman really trying to finish her research on the octagonal alien device they had found 3 days previous. 

"Happy new year Tosh", Tosh smiled and returned the sentiment. Finally Gwen was gone. Peace and quiet, maybe she'll be able to clock off in the next 15 minutes after all. 

 

Now there was just the 3 of them. Ianto was in the archives, sorting through the reports of the last 2 weeks, Jack was in his office feet on the desk and reading some newspaper article about the latest alien 'hoax'. 

Said hoax happened 4 days ago, and involved 10 aliens from the planet Resic 7 who had accidently found themselves planted in the middle of an estate in Swansea. The locals were flabbergasted, when they looked out towards the playground and saw the furry blue creatures stacked in a neat column. The day had been spent, retconning anyone in the immediate vicinity and convincing people that it was some stunt to advertise a new children's toy that was coming out early next spring. 

With Ianto's assuring smile and Gwen's apologies for 'any inconvenience that we've caused', they had finished their task with no-one asking about the 40 eyes that had glared at them that morning and the eternally grateful Ceerees returned to their home planet.

The clock hit 9pm, and Tosh decided that was it for the night, she ran over to Jack's office and leaned in the doorway "Night Jack, Happy New Year and tell Ianto the same from me" Jack's eyes peered over the newspaper "thanks Tosh, and you can tell him yourself if you want". Tosh turned to see that Ianto had just strode in to the main part of the Hub. 

"Going Tosh?" He called to her, "yes Ianto, I'll finish up my research tomorrow." She walked over to him, kissed him on the cheek and told him to have a great evening. 

Once she had left, Ianto collected up the coffee cups left on each desk and proceeded to wash them. "Another year, and we're all still alive" Ianto idly muttered to himself, rinsing soap suds from Jack's striped mug. "Wonder what next year will bring."

"Hopefully more adventures and less death" Jack's breath on his neck startled him into nearly smashing crockery. "Told you before about sneaking up on me, Jack."

"Aww c'mon Ianto, you love me sneaking up on you. Don't even try to deny it" Blue eyes sparkled and a very mischievous grin replaced the previously sombre look on the Captain's face. Ianto was unfazed, opting for a simple but effective roll of the eyes before resuming his task. "Not when I'm busy, and certainly not when I'm cleaning up after you. It wouldn't hurt for you to try to make less of a mess."

Jack looked at his lover "sorry Mr Jones" he held his hands up in mock surrender. "One word Jack, just one" Ianto scowled, knewing exactly how to hurt Jack "decaf". 

"Please, please anything but that" Jack howled in response; ignore him for a few days okay, he could even live with being tortured for weeks, but this no never this. Decaf instead of Ianto's delicious heaven-sent coffee, that was worse than a thousand deaths.

Ianto chuckled, before turning to rest his head on him "final warning".

They spent the next half hour finishing up the cleaning before Jack decided to take Ianto up onto a favourite roof of his, "nice view for fireworks" was his reasoning. Ianto knew that Jack just wanted to be away from the hub, for Jack the date 31/12 held too many bad memories, ghosts of a past the rest of them weren't party to.


	2. Owen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen's New Year's Eve.

Owen Harper stared at the glass in front of him, “New Year’s Eve and here I am, alone as per” he said bitterly. Looking around the pub he was in, he saw groups of people, couples all enjoying the last night of the year like their lives depended on it. Cheers, laughter and the babble of conversation all served to isolate him, making him grip his pint as if it was his only friend in the world. Well maybe not the world, he had _them_ he supposed: Jack, Ianto, Gwen (although ‘friendship' wasn’t exactly how things had always been between them) and Tosh. 

But were they proper friends? 

He wasn’t always sure, he knew that Jack always had his back and sure they had a laugh, as for Ianto he initially disliked the Welshman mainly because he seemed to be just too nice (which Owen always was suspicious of) as well as his constant sucking up to Jack. Since the Cyberwoman incident, Owen had seen the usually mild-mannered teaboy lose his composure and the mask had finally dropped. After that, Owen started to understand the Welshman more and was actually starting to get on with him better (even after Ianto had shot him).

Gwen was an unknown quantity, not necessarily a friend but in a strange way the person Owen felt most comfortable with, ‘probably cos she was fit’ he thought. Yes; he fancied her pretty much the moment she walked in with that damn pizza but he quickly realised that he would never actually love her. Not like he did with Katie or even Diane. No, Gwen was convenient, a way to pass time and slightly better than the string of one night stands he’d engaged with for the last few years. But she was meant for Rhys, poor sod, it was either that or she’d have been another notch on the Captain’s heavily engraved bedpost.

Then there was Tosh; beautiful, sweet, innocent Tosh. Owen was well aware of the Japanese woman’s crush on him, that had been obvious about 4 months after he’d arrived at Torchwood. She always seemed to be offering to help him, at first he appreciated the offers, but soon tired of her overenthusiastic ways and her endless chat about the most inane things. Although, lately he had started to enjoy her company. Turns out that a relatively tipsy Tosh was actually a fun Tosh, more relaxed and a few drinks later she was wild. Dancing, singing and telling the most outrageous jokes, he honestly was shocked the first time he’d seen her like that, arms round his shoulders and whispering provocative comments in his ear. “Maybe not quite so innocent, after all” he muttered. 

“10,9,8...” The chant filled the air, drinks raised in anticipation. 

“...4,3,2,1. HAPPY NEW YEAR!” 

Glasses clinked, people linked arms singing ‘Auld Lang Syne” and Owen Harper sat alone nursing his fourth pint of the evening. 

“Happy New Year to me” He sneered.


	3. Gwen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen and Rhys' New Year's Eve

“Ayyy you made it” the wreath decked red door swung open and Gwen and Rhys were greeted by the Mad Hatter and the White Rabbit. “Glyn, Molly, so bloody good to see you” Rhys bear-hugged the smiling couple “we need to meet more often, not just at New Year”. 

“You don’t say mate” the blond-haired man agreed, pulling on Rhys’ arm directing him towards the kitchen where a table was set up with drinks and snacks. Gwen politely ambled into the house, talking away to Molly “...and you never guess who I saw last week” Molly gossiped. The two women idly chatted, as they grabbed a glass of wine before heading into a spacious living room “no way, I swear she was with that Danny fella” Gwen giggled. 

This was nice. ‘Normal’ she thought. 

Her, Rhys and some of their close friends enjoying the last few hours of a year together. No aliens to capture, no terrified people to console (then retcon), no Torchwood drama. 

And yet, as she listened to her friend bitching about some new girl at her job, Gwen almost resented how _pedestrian_ it all was. 

She was Gwen flipping Cooper, Torchwood agent, alien hunter and none of them knew. They all got on with their normal, sedate lives not even realising that it was her and Jack and the rest of them that kept them safe. Not knowing that she was _different_ to them. She didn’t just sit at a desk tapping aimlessly at a keyboard or even deal with drunk twats after a pretty eventful Happy Hour on a Saturday, oh no, she wasn’t just ordinary Gwen Cooper. 

Well not since she stepped foot in that underground base under the water tower.

Rhys re-entered the room, beer in hand and planted a kiss on Gwen’s cheek. “Hey lovely, Glyn was just telling me about that bird who Huw was seeing. Apparently, she scarpered with his cash, lying low somewhere in Spain now” he wrapped a free arm around her waist, pulling her towards him. “Oh poor sod” she tried her best to seem interested in the goings on of Rhys’ friends.

“And guess what Banana Boat has turned up as?” Rhys’ voice was suddenly animated, his face broadening into a excited grin that Gwen found hard to not find infectious. She grinned back, returning his enthusiasm “let me guess, Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Aniston, no wait I’ve got it that lass from that film Basic Instinct” she snickered, just about suppressing the mental image of her lover’s best friend in a tacky white dress that left little to the imagination. 

Rhys almost choked on the beer he was drinking “God no, that’d be a sight no-one needs”. ‘Not even a strong dose of retcon would be enough for that level of trauma’ Gwen thought, contemplating her own experience with the mind-wipe pills that Torchwood so often deployed to deal with the masses of victims of alien encounters and Rift related events.

“Tigger” The word was whispered as he fought to hold back the laughter that threatened to consume him.

“Tigger?” Gwen’s face contorted in a mixture of surprise and disappointment. Damn she actually was slightly impressed with the man’s choice, she had loved Winnie the Pooh when she was young.

As if on cue, a man suddenly jumped behind them, nearly causing Rhys to spill his beer. “Banana” Rhys seized his friend into a hug “great outfit mate”. 

Hours passed as both Gwen and Rhys became reacquainted with their friends, until Glyn shouted that it was 11:50pm and everyone should make their way into the garden for the firework display. 

They all filed into the garden, eagerly checking the time on their phones and watches. Waiting for the big finale to wave goodbye to one year and greet the next. 

Eventually, it was time.

“5,4,3,2,1” the cascades of coloured lights flew up into the air dissipating as quickly as they had arrived. 

“Happy New Year my love” Rhys whispered softly, holding Gwen close.

“Happy New Year” Gwen smiled, kissing him as the fireworks continued to fizz in the night sky.


	4. Tosh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Toshiko Sato did on New Year's Eve.

Laptop placed on table with a bottle of wine and glass in place and Toshiko Sato was ready.

She poured herself a glass of wine whilst she waited...

'Bing.' The laptop lit up with a notification of a call, Toshiko clicked the button on screen and a elderly Japanese woman stared back.

"Toshiko, my blossom."

"Hello Aunt" she waved at the picture of the older woman "how are you?"

"Yes my girl, things are good. How is everything with you?"

"All is fine Aunt" Tosh grinned broadly, "I'm happy, I have a good job and lovely friends".

"Ahh that is good, your mother always worried that you wouldn't be happy. 'She is always working, no time for us or to make friends' she kept telling me."

Tosh's smile disappeared for a moment at the mention of her mother, 'don't cry, not now' she thought. Smile resumed, pretence kept up, she continued the conversation.

In that moment she wished she could tell her, explain to her beloved aunt the reasons she didn't call much, why she found seeing family difficult. Why every time her Aunt enquired about her job or about her life, Tosh would automatically deflect the conversation, even come up with an excuse to end the call. 'Sorry, got some reports to read through, sorry my boss is calling...' the lies tired her out. But she knew she couldn't say a thing.

The world she was part of wasn't the same world her aunt or even anyone else in her family lived in. It was all so _alien_ to them.

"Anyway, it's almost midnight so I just want to wish you a very happy New Year." Tosh raised her wine in a toast.

"Happy New Year Toshiko" Her aunt replied, emulating Tosh's toast with one involving a glass of water. "Come visit soon, we miss you."

"I'll try" Tosh wryly smiled, knowing that working for Torchwood made visiting family almost impossible.

A few minutes later, she said goodbye to her aunt and ended the call.

She gazed over at the picture on her fireplace, a photo of her and her brother after they moved to Osaka. She hated taking it at the time, her father tried to bribe her with sweets ‘please Toshiko, just one photograph to send to your Grandfather’. The offer of sweets didn’t work. 

What did was a promise, that they would go to the science and technology exhibition at a local museum the following week. Tosh remembered instantly plastering on her widest, most toothy grin as the camera’s shutter clicked.

"Happy New Year Mum, I promise I'll be happy" she whispered to the empty room, raising her glass as a single tear fluttered down her cheek.

'Maybe this year could bring me some happiness' she hoped.

No more people (or aliens) using her, no one making fun of her or making crude remarks behind her back. This year she meant business.

She was going to live and enjoy life.

And maybe, she may even pluck up the courage to ask Owen on a date. If he wasn't pretending to be too pig-headed to notice her. But if not him, then she’ll see if she could find someone else. Someone who deserved her, who was kind, funny and brilliant. ‘ _And perhaps wasn’t an alien_ ’ she grimaced, remembering how her brief relationship with Mary had ended.

‘Yes’, she decided. 

Toshiko Sato was going to have a good year.


End file.
